DETROIT — Federal safety authorities say they are seeking information about a crash and fire involving a Tesla Cybertruck in which a driver of the futuristic new pickup truck was killed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday that it is collecting information from TeslaThe agency has not sent crash investigators or opened a formal investigation into the crash. It has not said whether it is investigating the cause of the fire or whether the driver was using a partially automated driving system.
Messages were left Wednesday seeking comment from Tesla and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Death is apparently the first involving the angular stainless steel cladding truckwhich went on sale on November 30.
KHOU-TV reported that state troopers are investigating the crash, which occurred Monday morning in the Baytown area of Chambers County. The truck was traveling along a parkway when, for an unknown reason, it left the road, struck a concrete culvert and burst into flames, the station reported.
The Cybertruck was recalled twice in June to solve problems with loose trim and front parts windshield wipers that can fail. It has been recalled four times since its introduction.